2018 WinterWonderGrass Festival lineup announced; tickets now on sale

Leftover Salmon performed at the 2016 WinterWonderGrass in Steamboat Springs and they return to the 2017 line-up, which was announced Thursday.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – The wait is over.

The 2018 WinterWonderGrass Festival lineup for Steamboat Springs was released Thursday morning and it features 25 bands performing on four stages over three days — Feb. 23 to 25. Headlining artists at the sixth annual festival include Greensky Bluegrass, Yonder Mountain String Band, Elephant Revival and Leftover Salmon.

Additional artists include Fruition, Travelin McCourys, Lil' Smokies, Horseshoe and Hand Grenades, Jon Stickley Trio, Billy Strings and Trout Steak Revival. The three large heated beer halls will feature Good Time Travelers, Brad Parsons Band, Ghost of Paul Revere and We Dream Dawn. And special guests Tyler Grant, Bridget Law, Jay Starling and Allie Kral will be joining the WinterWonderGrass All-Stars and sitting in with artists throughout the weekend.

On Thursday night, a “Caravan to WonderGrass” announcement celebration was held at Schmiggity's in downtown Steamboat.

The event, which begins at 5 p.m., will feature live music from WinterWonderGrass Allstars and Grant Farm and there will be WinterWonderGrass ticket and merchandise giveaways.

"It’s humbling to be welcomed and appreciated so authentically in a new community," said Scotty Stoughton, founder of the WinterWonderGrass Festival in a news release. "We are working hard year round to build much more than a festival. Our desire is to curate a space that can inspire true connection, new conversation, a place to bring young and old together and reignite kinship.”

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New this year will be is the "Public Pick at Rye" venue located in Torian Plum Plaza. The festival will also be offering an opportunity for friends and family of all ages to join WinterWonderGrass artists in an informal unplugged musical collaboration. There, fans are encouraged to bring their instruments while listening to the stories behind the songs.

Oskar Blues Brewery is the festival’s presenting sponsor. In addition, 22 Colorado breweries will offer beer tastings each day from 2 to 5 p.m. The beer tastings will be held in the three heated beer halls.

In addition to the music, WinterWonderGrass aligns with local charitable organizations each year, focusing on music education, environmental protection and disaster relief. This year the festival wills support Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, Yampatika, Yampa Valley Autism Program and Partners in Routt County.

The festival will also bring late night shows Feb. 23 and Feb. 24 to Thunderhead Lodge at the top of the Gondola, The Steamboat Grand, Chief Theater and Schmiggity's. All late night tickets will be sold separately with those line-ups to be announced at a later date.

The festival kicks off on the afternoon of Feb. 22 with a free welcome party and concert in Gondola Square at the base of Steamboat Ski Area featuring Trout Steak Revival.

The festival has sold out the past six years and is expected to sell out quickly. Three-day tickets for WinterWonderGrass start at $179 and VIP tickets are $339. For more more information and to purchase tickets, visit winterwondergrass.com.